DYBAR - Chapter 171 < Aristocratic Trial, The Empress's Counterattack? >

DYBAR - Chapter 171 < Aristocratic Trial, The Empress's Counterattack? >

Do Your Best And Regret




The elegant and solemn bedroom of the Emperor.

The tense tension pierced his skin. The Empress was looking at the Emperor without blinking.

"Your Majesty. I heard a funny rumor. The Duke of Madeleine requested a noble trial. And the people to blame are the Duke of Elkin, me, and the Princess... It’s a ridiculous rumor.”
 
He should have declined the visit somehow.

Uncharacteristic of an Empress, she was so reckless that the Emperor swallowed his dry saliva and answered when she asked hi. a question.

“...For the trial tomorrow, please behave properly like an Empress.”

It was confirmation that the rumors were not in vain. The Emperor expected the Empress to cry or be angry. He was willing to accept that much.

But the Empress burst out in laughter. As if she had known this, her eyes were bent and her face was smiling happily. The embarrassed Emperor scolded her harshly.

“Empress, what kind of attitude is this?! No matter how embarrassed she was... !”

Instead of stopping her laughter, the Empress slowly looked at the Emperor. Her snake-thin gaze swept over the Emperor.

“The Emperor of the Empire barely listens to the words of the Duke of Madeleine, abandons the Duke of Elkin, who was his loyal subject, and makes his only daughter, the Princess, a favorite among luxury magnates. Not only does he turn a blind eye to the month of this empire.”

“....”

“What has the Duke of Madeleine presented to Your Majesty?”

The voice full of laughter gave him goosebumps. A sigh escaped between closed lips.

“...Do you realize that what the Duke is saying now is an insult to the imperial family and a direct challenge to the imperial authority? How dare the Empress of the empire and the Princess!”

“Then, Your Majesty, where do you think the anger of the nobles who have nowhere to go will be directed? Everyone who attended the negotiations clearly saw Your Majesty’s defeat.”
 
However, he could not convey the Duke of Madeleine's words that rang in his head in their entirety. The Emperor shouted again.

“Did the Empress really harm your grandson? Otherwise, why can’t you stand proudly at trial?”

It was strange. The more the Emperor raised his voice, the more the Empress's brown eyes sparkled. The Emperor unconsciously turned his head as she smiled, as if he knew her true intentions.

“...Anyway, since we are dealing with the issue of the Duke of Elkin and the Princess, I want to resolve all questions. It's late at night. I'm tired, so please go back.”

The Emperor himself could be seen beyond the window. Him trying to somehow dye his gray hair golden...

"Yes. Then take a look.”

The Empress smiles brightly as she looks at the Emperor until the end.

“Is your utility actually greater, or is my utility, as the Empress, greater?”

A voice softer than usual rose to my ears. An eerie energy flickered across the Emperor's neck and disappeared.

***

The Empress left the Emperor's palace with a smiling face.

But the moment the Empress entered her palace, she muttered softly.

“...Maria Ethel, has she ever really shown its appearance?”

“Is that possible, Your Majesty? Doesn’t Your Majesty know this? Ever since Maria Ethel slept with Her Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you have been mixing medicine to prevent her pregnancy at dinner parties attended by Lady Ethel.”

That was right. She only prevented the conception of her grandson, and she never did anything to the grandson who was already conceived. The Empress nodded her head slowly at the words of the Marchioness of Offem. However, the anxiety that took over her entire body did not go away easily.

The assassination of the conceived imperial grandson...! 

The Duke of Madeleine would not have brought up such a crime without any preparation.

What on earth? 

The Empress thought constantly with her low-slung eyes. Could it be that Maria Ethel said something to the Duke the last time she came to the Empire?

"Your Majesty. There is no way he was born, and even if he was born, he is a lowly illegitimate child. How can a lowly child born out of an unmarried relationship be called an imperial grandchild? Has that Ethel family ever been hungry?”

It was then. The Marquis of Offem, with her quiet voice, touched the hand of the Empress.

As the soft scent of her balm touched her, pain rushed to the skin of her palms. At the same time, she came to her senses.

"... Yes. You are right.”

She doesn't have time for this.

The Empress smiled broadly, revealing her white teeth.

***

“...Now that the serious crime of the Duke of Elkin, who put the Duke of Madeleine in trouble by using a medicine, has been clearly revealed, the Marquis of Ethel, as a witness, may leave.”

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please allow me to say one more word!”

Conference Chairman.

Behind the Emperor's voice, Duke Elkin's embarrassed voice spread. However, the Emperor did not allow any further remarks.

The Marquis of Ethel, who was wearing shabby clothes and laughing, left the venue only after greeting the nobles with bloodshot eyes.

Meanwhile, the nobles looked at the Duke of Elkin, who was being dragged away with the Emperor, without saying anything, and then at the Duke of Madeleine, who was standing calmly.

No matter how much evidence there is, the Duke of Elkin was the head of the noble faction and the head of the Elkin Duchy that produced the current Empress. But confiscating half of his assets wasn't enough, and it was such a one-sided trial.

If it had reached this point, the nobles would have been dumbfounded but would have thought it was the Emperor's best effort to solidify imperial power.

However, the destination where Duke Madeleine's blade was aimed was the Princess.

“Then, next I will ask Her Highness the Princess. Has Her Royal Highness ever attended a forbidden underground auction?”

*** 

“What I spent there was my own money. Moreover, aren't most of the nobles secretly attending underground auctions? I am sorry that I did not lead by example as a Princess, but will that be enough for the Duke to put me on trial?”

“Underground auctions are strictly prohibited. Moreover, when Her Highness the Princess attended the underground auction, Her Highness’s retail domain was in the midst of a spring crisis.”

The Princess's lips were tightly shut. Why did she have to be in the middle of spring when she went to get the necklace? 

However, the dates for the Princess's auction attendance listed by the Duke of Madeleine were numerous outside of the Spring Palace period.

“As a Lord, the person who is supposed to take care of the territory and the people who will be struggling during the spring crisis is an underground auction, let alone an example.”

The moment Duke Madeleine continued his speech, the Princess looked at the nobles.

The countless nobles she saved by giving up their fortunes as the Princess. They couldn't help but praise Olivia when she handed over her property to Olivia, but now they were whispering with cold gazes.

It seemed like her head was about to drop due to her endless helplessness, but the Princess straightened her posture. And she recalled the door from which the Duke of Elkin had been dragged out.

She will never be like that. If she holds on just a little longer, her mother, her mother...

"Is it so. Let’s assume that the Princess attends the underground auction and that she fails to fulfill her Lord’s duty during the spring crisis.”

It was then. The Princess raised her head. She had a smile on her face. She was a strong mother and Empress who was her only support.

“Even so, how on earth can the Princess commit such a serious crime? How dare you put the Princess, who is the most noble blood in this Empire, on trial for her nobility...”

The Empress nodded her head lightly and smiled softly. Unlike her gentle smile, her gaze towards the nobles was cold.

“It seems like everyone has forgotten the favor the Princess granted to hand over her territory to Vikander for you?”

“...”

“And if it was a problem because underground auctions were banned, wouldn’t it be okay to raise it to the sun through a meeting?”

It was an unconventional statement. Although nobles attended the underground auction, it was strictly prohibited in the Empire. The Empress slowly looked at the faces of the nobles.

“...A significant number of high-ranking nobles attend the underground auction. No matter how much you cover your face with a mask, if you put it up in the sun, you will see people smiling.”
 
It was indeed as the Princess said.

Among the stiff expressions, most of them showed their joy and nodded to the Empress' opinion.

Meanwhile, someone opened his mouth as if hesitating.

"Your Majesty. How can a forbidden underground auction be held..."

“Already, the Empire’s treasury is empty to the point of being pitiful. I think everyone here knows the value of the items being sold at underground auctions and the astronomical amounts of money exchanged therein.”

“...”

“If we increase tax revenue instead of bringing expensive goods to sunny areas...”

There was a sigh coming from somewhere. Still, it looks like he's calculating quickly. The Empress smiled and glanced at the nobles.

“This is a way to turn a crisis into an opportunity, but instead, you are making something for which you should be thankful for the Princess’s wisdom become a crime. This is a situation where all the nobles are being played by the three-inch tongue of the original Duke of Madeleine.”

“Your Majesty, please speak a little...”

“Count, should I talk back in this situation? Still not sure? Is it his intention to blame the Duke of Elkin, the head of the noble faction, as well as the Princess and me?”

Now was the opportunity for a turnaround.

The Empress recalled the Duke of Elkin's last expression as he was being dragged away. And she looked at the Duke of Madeleine. Her pretty lips were twisted.

If he had been content with just cleaning up the Duke of Elkin, she would have stayed quiet too. It was heartbreaking to give up, but it was okay if the Duke of Elkin came forward as collateral.

The Empress stiffened her expression and raised her voice.

“Do you really think that at a time when the Empire is in crisis, the Duke of Madeleine, a faithful subject of His Majesty the Emperor and a pillar of the Empire, is shaking other pillars as a pure act without any other intention?”

The aristocratic faction, who had lost focus on the Empress's dignified remarks, shook their heads at her. Astutely noticing the changing reactions, she shouted loudly at Duke Madeleine.

“You became a noble of the Empire and pointed your sword at the royal family. Aren’t you embarrassed?!”

"You're right. How dare a person who is a pillar of the Empire do such an outrageous thing to Her Majesty?”

The voices of the aristocratic faction began to rise. At the same time, the nobles of the imperial faction looked at each other and quietly spoke to Duke Madeleine.

“...Even before the meeting, no, even before Her Majesty spoke, we followed the Duke’s wishes.”

“But not now. Are you really going to challenge the imperial throne, Duke?”

Seeing the Duke remaining silent, the voices of the imperial nobles grew louder.

No matter what anyone says, the Duke of Madeleine was the center of the imperial faction.

However, in the process of breaking off the engagement between the Princess and the Prince and achieving the independence of the Vikander kingdom, the appearance of Duke Madeleine, who spoke as if protecting Vikander, shook even the nobles who supported him.

“Are you really trying to use this as an excuse to rely on Vikander?”

So, when voices questioning the Duke's loyalty erupted, the nobles in the hall immediately became very nervous.

But the Duke's answer was unexpected.

“...Word spreads slowly.”

"Yes?"

“I see that you don’t know that the imperial family and the Madeleine duchy are still prohibited from entering the Vikander Kingdom and its capital.”

“Then what on earth... For?” 

Someone muttered. Duke Madeleine slowly looked at the Empress and spoke.

“According to the old book, if you recklessly kill the imperial grandson, you will be deprived of your qualifications as a member of the imperial family.”

Disqualification as a member of the imperial family...?

The conference hall, which had become quiet as if cold water had been poured on it, quickly became filled with anger.

“I apologize to Her Majesty for such ridiculous speculations and slander!”

“No matter how Duke it is, this is absolutely an insult to Her Majesty! Your Majesty, please severely punish the Duke!”

A sharp reaction erupted. Amid the commotion like the fluttering wings of the hummingbird, the Empress did not hide her contempt.

While the nobles protested more fiercely towards the Duke of Madeleine, the Empress looked at the Emperor.

And when their eyes met, she slowly raised the corners of her mouth.

Did you see it? Which one is more useful?

The Emperor was the first to avert her gaze as his eyes filled with a clear question. The moment she saw the Emperor's jaw muscles tense up, the Empress wanted to burst out laughing.

But her toast came later.

She had to drive this reversal of mood and drive a wedge between the Duke of Madeleine and him so that he could never creep up on her again.

Her eyes flashed like a beast. The Empress applauded lightly.

Clap clap.

The nobles gaped at her and looked up at the Empress like obedient puppies. With the nobles loyal to her at the forefront, she smiled softly at the Duke of Madeleine.

“I don’t know where or what you heard, Duke. If you want to slander me, first prove that there was a conceived royal grandson. Who does the Duke want to say conceived the imperial grandson?”

“Lady Maria Ethel, the current Countess Maria Tefils.”

“Has she ever shown her prenatal period?”

Naturally, Duke Madeleine's tightly closed lips did not open. The Empress asked again.

“On the contrary, by revealing at the banquet that she had falsely embraced the imperial family, he only undermined the status of the Empire. The last time she came to the Empire, was she even that full?”

As expected, the Duke of Madeleine did not answer. The Empress smiled generously.

Then she tapped the armrest of her throne with her fingernails.

“... I need to check what the royal family’s conspiracies are written about in the old books.”

She felt like she could feel the heartbeat fluttering beneath her fingernails. A lifeline she can take at any time.

An exclamation erupted among the nobles. An exhilarating feeling of joy ran through her entire body.

In this situation, if one word were to be added, the Duke of Madeleine's political life would likely end like this.

However, the Duke of Madeleine's counterattack was a little faster.

“I assumed that Her Majesty the Empress had used a medicine.”


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Comments

  1. Thank you for translating the novel, but Chapter 170 does not exist. Can you translate it?

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